Ecclesiastes 3:16

¹Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter.

⁸If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, don’t marvel at the matter, for one official is eyed by a higher one, and there are officials over them.

²“How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?” Selah. ³“Defend the weak, the poor, and the fatherless. Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. ⁴Rescue the weak and needy. Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.” ⁵They don’t know, neither do they understand. They walk back and forth in darkness. All the foundations of the earth are shaken.

¹Do you indeed speak righteousness, silent ones? Do you judge blamelessly, you sons of men? ²No, in your heart you plot injustice. You measure out the violence of your hands in the earth.

²¹They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood. ²²But the LORD has been my high tower, my God, the rock of my refuge.

³Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit to judge me according to the law, and command me to be struck contrary to the law?”

¹⁴Justice is turned away backward, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has fallen in the street, and uprightness can’t enter.

⁵⁹Now the chief priests, the elders, and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, that they might put him to death,

⁹She wrote in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. ¹⁰Set two men, wicked fellows, before him, and let them testify against him, saying, ‘You cursed God and the king!’ Then carry him out, and stone him to death.”

¹¹The men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had instructed them in the letters which she had written and sent to them. ¹²They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. ¹³The two men, the wicked fellows, came in and sat before him. The wicked fellows testified against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king!” Then they carried him out of the city and stoned him to death with stones. ¹⁴Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, “Naboth has been stoned and is dead.”

¹⁵When Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.”

¹⁶When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

¹⁷The LORD’s word came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, ¹⁸“Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who dwells in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it. ¹⁹You shall speak to him, saying, ‘The LORD says, “Have you killed and also taken possession?”’ You shall speak to him, saying, ‘The LORD says, “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs will lick your blood, even yours.”’”

²⁰Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do that which is evil in the LORD’s sight.

²¹Behold, I will bring evil on you, and will utterly sweep you away and will cut off from Ahab everyone who urinates against a wall,^[+] and him who is shut up and him who is left at large in Israel.

³Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe. The powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.